Alex Rider

Parker?

Well, I'm on my way.

Okay, Dad.

I'll see you later.

You got plans today?

There's an exhibition at the Rubin.

Faith and Empire.

Hmm.

Sounds interesting.

I thought so.

Well, maybe we could get lunch or something later.

I'd like that.

Suzie, change of plans.

Cancel my 3:00 with Senator Andrews

and tell Parker we gotta reschedule our lunch.

And get the jet ready for a trip to London.

This is Alan Blunt. Leave a message.

Yeah, Alan, it's Michael Roscoe here.

I need to talk to you.

It's, um...

It's a little difficult to explain.

It's about Parker.

I'm coming to London.

I think I may be going out of my mind.

Alex.

Not doing it.

Hey, come on, mate.

No. No.Two minutes.

Just two minutes' worth of film.

Haven't you got a lesson to go to?

No, we can get it on the walk.Oh...

The thing I most remember about Tom at school

was his creative determination, his drive.

That's what really set him apart.

Just talking about it now,

almost as if I can still see him, right in front of me.

If you don't take it seriously it's gonna look stupid.

It's stupid. How can you do a Making Of documentary

when you haven't made any movies?

Shooting out of sequence.

It's "get someone else to do it."

Very witty, smart. Looks good on you.

Well, it was Jahid's idea. Get Jahid to do it then.

Jahid had another idea.

He said, "Oh, that's a really good idea."

We should get footage tonight at the party

that Ayisha's going to."What?

That perked you up a bit. I knew that would work on you.

Which party? Typical, so predictable.

You won't do anything for your friends, but the ladies...

When we talk about the classics,

we think about ominous, dusty, Victorian tomes

and forget that these books were written to be enjoyed.

How come Jahid knows about the party

but doesn't know where it is? Because he's not invited.

He was in a stall in the girls' toilets when he overheard.

Lianne tell Kellie she and Ayisha were going.

What was Jahid doing in the girls' toilets?

That's what you're choosing to focus on here?

How can we go to the party if we don't have an address?

Who says I don't have an address?

Phone. Right now.

No, I was getting my phone out to...

You know the rules.

Here.

See you tomorrow, gents.

We all have our own particular set of skills.

This is a more your-skills thing.

You got it confiscated, you get it back.

The lights are low.

You're next to Ayisha.

The magic starts to happen.

Or a horror movie marathon and a long cold shower.

It's your call.

Everything all right, Tom?

Yep. Yes, sir, all good.

All right. Get home safe. Will do.

Excuse me. So sorry. Can I borrow your phone? No.

No, like really quickly, just like two minutes. No.

I need to make an emergency call.

I'll give it back to you.

Don't do anything like calling Australia

or anything like that. No, no, no.

Got it. Abort, abort, abort.

Alex?

Uh...

Hi.

For heaven's sake, Alex,

what were you thinking?

I forgot my coursework.

Don't lie.

Tom's phone got confiscated.

All I was doing was getting it back.

By breaking into school?

Seemed like a plan at the time. Did it?

You should answer that.

And put it on speaker phone, please.

Yeah? EDDIE: You and Alex

coming to the party? I texted you.

Tom and Alex won't be available

for any parties this weekend.

They've got a lot of revision to be getting on with.

Put that in the glove box, please.

Come on. Actions have consequences.

Put it in the glove box. Now.

There's no food in the fridge.

Your uncle looked a little uptight.

He's always uptight.

What did you do this time? Nothing.

That's a lie. Okay, something.

It's just he wants me to be just like him.

What's wrong with that?

Jack, come on. He's the world's most boring man.

He works at a bank. His casual wear is gray.

You guys go scuba diving in the Med.

Canopy climbing in the jungle.

And that thing with the yurts and the camel dung,

that was not boring.

It was disgusting, but it wasn't boring.

What is that? It's just cutlery?

Is that how you set the table? It's takeout.

No. It's dinner that I cooked from scratch.

You forgot to buy food again?

I had stuff. Important stuff.

So, what we're gonna do is we're gonna take this wok

and take a little sauce out of here and put it here.

We're gonna throw all these empty containers

into the trash and we're never gonna speak of this again.

You really have this down to a fine art.

Shut up.

Oh, by the way, you owe me half.

You were supposed to buy food.

If I chip in for this, can you talk to him?

Come on, Alex.

You have to fight your own battles.

Is it difficult time, Mr. Roscoe?

I thought we had a no-devices-at-dinner rule?

This is work. Michael Roscoe was a client of ours at the bank.

Parker looks so weird in a suit.

How do you know Parker Roscoe?

I'll see if I can find it.

This is called Having Your Cake and Eating It.

Everybody needs cake.

An operation of this magnitude

takes a lot of people, but I'd especially like...

Parker, what is the matter with you?

I'm so sorry.

Hey, Dad, say "cheese".

Ooh. Wow.

It kind of puts things into perspective,

like getting your mate's phone back from school

isn't such a big deal.

When was this?

Oh, his dad had some hissy fit and sent him off somewhere

to get straightened out. And now he's in a suit.

Sent him off somewhere? What do you mean?

You know, like a boot camp.

That sounds like a good idea, doesn't it, Jack?

You remember the name?

Mm...

No.

It was only mentioned in the comments.

Somewhere in France.

Martin, hi, yes.

Sorry to bother you so late, something's come up.

Do you remember Serenkov?

Yeah, he had a son, didn't he?

And there were issues there, I think,

and he got sent to a school.

For troubled kids. I think that school was called Point Blanc.

Just one sec.

Yeah, could you call our friend in Moscow and double-check?

Thanks.

Jack.

You wanted a word?

I did, I did.

The school tried calling you today,

but you didn't pick up. Yeah, sorry about that.

It's okay, though, right? You got there.

Yeah, I did, I did. I was just a little concerned.

Because, um...

Well, you know Alex, he's bright and he's determined,

and he questions everything.

But he can be impulsive, and he can be irresponsible.

I need you to help set him clear boundaries.

He's not a kid anymore.

He doesn't need me to tie his shoelaces

and pack his lunch and run his life.

He can do that all himself.

You hold this place together, Jack, remember that.

I got my graduation papers.

No.

Congratulations.

Well done.

What's...? It's been six years?

Six years. Six years.

Well done. We should celebrate. You shouldn't have cooked.

We should've got a takeaway, opened some champagne.

This...

was supposed to be a part-time thing.